Housing equipment for aircraft



Sept. 15, 1931. w. v. N. POWELSON ET AL 1,823,289

HOUSING EQUIPMENT FOR AIRCRAFT Original Filed Sept. 21, 1.921 2Sheets-Sheet l l W J I L w- {\2. x y S H w 2 k Diliifria I/TN P01087807?Warren Travei? Patented Sept, 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEWILFRID'V. 1v. rowELson, or NEw YoRx, iv. Y., AND WARREN TRAVELL, or SANBERNABDINO, CALIFORNIA HOUSING EQUIPMENT FOR AIRCRAFT -Origina1application filed September 21, 1921, Serial No. 502,127. Divided andthis application filed I November 25, 1930.

This invention pertains to housing equipment for aircraft. Moreparticularly, it pertains to equipment providing simple and inexpensivefacilities for housing lighters than-air ships. It provides meanswhereby airships of the largest proportions can be safely sheltered fromthe elements without resorting to the use of enclosed buildings, knownas hangars, and like structures whose necessarily great size involvesimportant expense and risk for construction and maintenance. I

The devices of the invention'are especially available for housingairships at ports of call, as distinguishedf'romstations, because theirrelatively low cost of construction and their small annual. depreciationmake it financially possible for shelter facilities to be provided whereotherwise the cost of shelter would be prohibitive and where the mereproviding of amooring mast would be inadequate provision for reliableservice. Masts are open to the very important objections that even whilemoored thereto an airship may be subjected to considerable stress bywind conditions, by snow, sleet and ice, or by the suns heat, tootherburdens and dangers, andto interference with regular operation, I

The present invention provides simple housing and protecting means,inexpensive in cost,'in which the airship maybe kept for such period asmay be desired. Briefly stated, it resides in the provision of one ormore wind deflectors, either fixed or portable and either rigid orcollapsible, with which is preferably associated a chamber in which thelower part of the airship is received.

The chamber may be a hollow or pit, in surface approximating thecurviform underside ofthe airship. By cooperation between such a chamberand the wind deflectors, stresses imposed by high wind are almostentirely eliminated and the airship protected during its stayalmostwholly from' winds Serial No. 499,728.

and to a greater or less extent, according to circumstances, from otherinclemencies of the weather.

. In the accompanying drawings, which are somewhat diagrammatic:

Figure 1 is a plan showing an airship housed in such equipment andprotected from the elements by wind deflectors and a chamber of thekind, described;

Figure 2 is a cross-section, on line 2-2 of Figure 1, illustrating onetype of deflector that may be employed;

Figure 3 is an elevation showing in detail the construction of a winddeflector slightly diiferent in structural type from that of Figure 2,but operating similarly in principle, and which may be consideredrepresented in Figure l; L

Figure 4 is a cross section, corresponding to Figure 2, showing aslightly modified way of securing the airship;

Figure 5 is a cross section, on line 55 of Figure 6, showing still adifferent arrangement of wind deflector with respect to the airship; and

Figure 6 is a plan of the housing equipment of Figure 5.

Figures 1 and 2 disclose a preferred embodiment of the housing equipmentof the invention. The airship itself, designated 10, is shown asdisposed in the generally curviform chamber 11. The latter is shown asan excavated chamber of which the walls 12 may take whatever form isdesired. For example, a smooth curve is shown in Figure 4, and apreferred form is more particularly shown in Figure 2, stepped ingeneral curviform fashion. In this instance the relative size of chamberis represented such that the airship can be depressed into the chamberwith the mid-horizontal plane of the ships envelope at the ground level.This protects the under-part of the ship completely from winds, and soeliminates all upthrust of wind blowing against the sloping under partof its envelope. Incidentally the upper half of the envelope is broughtnearer to ground level, where the wind velocity is less than the windvelocity somewhat higher in air.

The airship 'may. conveniently be held at the desired level by guy ropes15, of which there may be any suitable number, the same being fixed tothe walls 12 of the chamber 11 and also to the airship 10. Extendingfrom the airship to the edge of the chamber llare sheeting strips 13which serve-to keep out atmospheric precipitation. Associated withsheets 13 are the flashing strips 14,

present for the same purpose. The latter may be secured along the shipsenvelope 10, overlying the top edges of the sheets 13.

Somewhat removed from the edge of the chamber 11 are wind deflectors 16,which,

sub-divided into convenient lengths, may be distributed around thechamber 11 at ground level. Essentially, these-deflectors 16.'eachhaveian angularlydisposed surface 17 which serves to turn horizontalwindupward and over the airship. The wind deflectors 16 may be of anydesired length, and, while shown as collapsible in Figure 3, may, if

preferred, be rigid.

In Figure 3 one type of a wind deflector 16 is shown in detail. Itcomprises, as stated, a sloping surface 17 of any desired a material,examples being sail cloth, wood and metal, and includes the base 18 towhich,

at:22, the surface17 is pivoted. For retaining surface 17 in properangular relation to base 18 there is provided a strut 19 which ispivoted at 23 to base 18 and which projects into a pocket 20 on theunder side of the surface 17. The angle betweensur-- face 17 and base 18depends upon the location of the pocket 20, whichv may be placedwherever desired. 7 v

. In the deflectors shown in Figure 3, sills 21 serve to hold the sameto the ground in a given position. Because of the pivoting of members 17and 19, it is possible to collapse a wind deflector 16 of the type shownin Figure 3 into a low, compactstrue.

ture which offers no appreciable resistance 'to a body of men walkingtheairship thereover, so that the ship can be convenient ly moved from anydirection to a position over the chamber. In this respect the device thewindward side by means of astructure illustrated has the ad-' whichneed'not reach to the very top, gives a large measure of protection andgreat flexibility in use, at a relatively low cost. For raisingcollapsed deflectors use may be made of any conventional lifting means.

Figure 4 represents a modification of the arrangement of Figure 2 andshows the airship 10 held in the chamber 11 by means of guy ropes l5 andcradle 25. The latter may be-of'cloth or ofsome other material andpreferably, but not necessarily, conforms to the shape of the ship. InFigure 4, the chamber is made without enclosing unnecessary space, andso without unnecessary expense for removal of earth. Ordinarily thiswill give the chamber walls a generally 'curviforni concave aspect,either smooth as in Figure): or-stepped as in Figure 2.

The cradle 25, adapting itself to the shape of the airship 10, alsoprovides a generally curviform chamber in which the airship is received.Strips 13 andle prevent access of atmospheric precipitation to thehousing chamber or chambers.

In Figure 5 the dirigible 10 is shown as housed abovethe ground, thelower part of the ship being supported by the cloth or other cradle 25.The cradle 25 provides a generally curviform chamberin which thedirigible 10 is received for housing purposes. Entry of atmosphericprecipitation is prevented, as before, by members 13 and 1 1. Guy ropes15 hold the dirigible in place. 1

In Figures '5:.and 6 the deflectors 16are shown as rigid structurespermanently mounted.- They comprise a wind-deflecting surface 1-7, abase 18 andre-inforcing truss work 26 and 27. fThe'defiectors l6 servenot only to deflect wind, but also to hold in place the cradle 25 inwhich the airship is received. In Figure 6, the deflectors 16 are shownextendingtheentire length of the airship, this form being preferable insome cases. J I v i In each case the sheet strips 13 also constitutewind deflectors. They continue upward the effect of the deflectors whichrest on the ground; and it will be observed that in each case thedirection into which the wind is deflected is approximatelytangentialvto the'adjacent upper part of the en velope, being close'at hand inFigures 1- and 5, and parallel to the tangent but at a little distancein Figure 2. The lateral wind pressure on the exposed upper part of theenvelopeis thus, by the deflector below, reduced to' less than it wouldotherwise be;

and such ressure as there is impinges on a surfacew ich is oblique andtherefore has a downward component that tends to keep the ship in itsberth, especially as this downward component finds no. balancing upwardcomponent from wind striking the under side of the ship.

By means of the present invention, it is thus possible to provide simpleand inexpensive housing equipment for airships, without necessity for astructure covering the entire airship. The airship envelop-e Iplays animportant part in protecting the ousing chamber 11 from precipitation,yet only a minor portion of the envelopes area is exposed totheelelnents. There results an immense saving inhousing cost; and it ispossible to protect an airship for long periods'of time withoutelaborate equipment.

In operation, it is feasible to bring the ship to earth in any usual orsuitable way, and if. not brought directly down into the housing pit orchamber, to walk the ship or move it by any desired method to thechamberll. It is then lowered into place and held suspended as'shown inthedrawings. Strips 18 and 14 are then put into place; and the winddeflectors, if collapsible, elevated to the desired angle. The order ofthese steps is reversed when the ship is to be launched for flight, orsome may be omitted and the ship let rise directly from the chamber.

The present disclosure is directed to subject matter divided out ofapplication Serial No. 502,127, filed on September 21, 1921, for Meansfor mooring and housing airships. It is intended that the patent tomature from this application shall cover, by suit able expression inappended claims, whatever features of patentable noveltyreside in theinvention herein disclosed.

e claim as our invention:

1. In airship housing equipment, means providing a generally curviformchamber for receiving the lower part of an airship envelope, meansextending from the edge of said chamber to the envelope for preventingthe entry of atmospheric precipitation, and

one or more wind-deflecting surfaces extending obliquely from the groundupward beside the envelope, the shape of said chamber approximating thatof the lower part of the airship. V

2. In airship housing equipment, means providing a generally curviformchamber for receiving the lower part of an airship envelope, and, besideit, one or more wind deflecting surfaces extending obliquely from theground upward beside the envelope, the shape of said chamberapproximating that of the lower part of the airship.

3. In airship housing equipment, means providing a pit for receiving thelower part of an airship envelope and one or more wind-deflectingsurfaces extending obliquely from the ground upward beside the.envelope. I

4. In airship housing equipment, means providing a pit for receiving thelower part of an airship envelope, and, associated therewith, a seriesof collapsible structures having wind-deflecting surfaces extendingobliquely from the ground upward beside the envelope.

. 5. In aircraft housing equipment, a wind deflector comprising a base,a deflecting surface supported thereon, means for setting an'angle atwhich the surface is inclined upward from the base, said meansmaintaining the set angular relation of the base and the deflectingsurface.

6. In aircraft housing equipment, a wind deflector comprising a base, apivoted deflecting surface extending thence toward the top of theaircraft and means for maintaining the angular relation of the base andthe deflecting surface, said wind deflector being capable of collapsingto form a low, compact structure on removal of said maintaining means.

7. In airship housing equipment, cradleforming means correspondingclosely to the shape of the lower part of the airship, and, at the'sidethereof, a wind-deflector inclined from the ground toward the top of theairship.

8. In airship housing equipment, means forming a fabric cradle forreceiving the lower part of an airship, and, at the sides thereof, awind deflector inclined from the ground toward the top of the airship.

9. In equipment for protecting airships, the combination of an openshelter pit hav ing a length greater than the lengths of the airships tobe protected, a width greater than the widths of said airships, andcrosssections homologous to the cross-sections of the lower portions ofsaid airships; and means for holding'an airship in such a position thatits lower portion is contained within said open shelter pit andprotected thereby.

10. In equipment for protecting airships, the combination of a shelterpit of suitable size for containing the lower portion of an airship; aflexiblecradle suspended in the pit between the'sides thereof; and meansfor holding said airshipv in position in said cradle.

11. In equipment for protecting airships,

the combination as in claim 9 together with a covering over said pit,comprising the upbetween said airship and the edges of the shelter pit.

13. In equipment for protecting airships,

the combination of a shelter pit of. suitable size for containing thelower portion of an airship, a flashing strip. of weather-proof materialextending along both sides of said airship and other weather-proofmaterial extending from beneath said flashingstrip to the edges of theshelter pit, thereby forming with the upper portion'of the airship aprotection from theweather for the lower portion of said airship.

=14. In equipment for protecting airships, the combination asin claim13, together with means for holding an airship in such a position thatits lower portion is contained within said shelter pit.

15. In equipment for protecting airships, the combination as in claim 9,together with a weather-proof covering over said pit, which coveringcomprises the upper port-ion of the airship and a strip of weather-proofmaterial extending around the airship and covering the space betweensaid airship and the edges of theshelter pit.

16. In equipment for protecting airships,

the. combination as in claim 12, together with planes inclined to thehorizontal for deflecting wind from that portion of the airship whichprojects above the shelter pit. v I

17. In equipment for protecting airships, the combination of a shelterpit of suitable size for containing the lower portionof an airship andstructures located about said pit and having surfaces inclined to thel1orizontal for deflecting wind from the upper portion of said airshipwhile its lower portion is contained within the shelter pit.

18. In equipment for housing an airship, the combination of twostructures spaced a distance apart greater than the width of the airshipto be housed, each having an inclined upper surface of a lengthapproximately as great as the length of said airship; a cradle betweensaid structures, adapted for holding an airship; and a cover ing oversaid cradle, comprising the upper surface of said airship when in thecradle and strips of weather-proof material covering the space betweensaid airship and said inclined surfaces. 7

. 19. In equipment for holding an airship, the combination of a cradleadapted for holding said airship and having weatherproof sides, anda'covering over said cradle,

'.' comprising the upper surface of said airship when in the cradle,andstrips of weatherproof material covering the space between said airshipand the sides of the cradle.

20. In equipment for protecting. airships, the combination of a shelterpit of suitable size for containing the lower portion of an airshiptogether with tackle extending'from the upper portion of the airship tothe edges of the pit for holding the airship down and other tackleextending from the lower portion of the airship to the edges of-the pitfor holding the airshipup, thereby providing a secure means forfastening said airship in a position with its lower portioncontainedwithin the shelter pit.

Signed at San Bernardino, California,

this eleventh day of November, 1930.

WILFRID V. .N. POWELSON. WARREN 'TRAVELL.

